Safety and security
Your child’s safety is our priority. We take all necessary precautions, including but not limited to:
- ensuring adequate supervision of children – a ratio of 1 carer to 15 children with extra staff floating, which increases for external excursions during vacation care (in line with National Quality Standards)
- electronic sign in and sign out of children by parents/carers
- stringent personal and facility hygiene practices
- monitoring and communication of students’ whereabouts between locations using walk talkies and CCTV cameras (in some areas)
- escorting Prep students to and from their classrooms
- supervising visits to the toilets, which are a small distance from the OSHC
- ensuring adequate and nutritious meals and snacks for all dietary requirements and in a nut-free environment
- role modelling and implementing sun-safe practices
- managing risk in the environment by removing or making hazards inaccessible
- supporting children to manage and negotiate acceptable levels of risk in their play
- providing a screen and device-free service to encourage social and emotional interactions
- having a zero tolerance approach to bullying and encouraging children to speak up if they are feeling uncomfortable or intimated and dealing with any instances of bullying immediately.
- routinely checking equipment to ensure that is well-maintained, clean and safe for children’s use.
Ferny Hills State School is a smoke free environment.
Illnesses
To safeguard the health of all children and prevent the spread of infection, please keep your child at home if they are sick and until they are fully recovered from any illness. Children who attend the service but who are suffering from an infectious illness will not be allowed to attend the service to prevent spread. Children who become ill at the service will be provided a quiet area with a sick bed to rest while their parents/guardians are contacted.
Your child may return to the service after the appropriate exclusion period, as advised by Queensland Health or from a medical practitioner.
Incidents and injuries
We take precautions to remove hazards and to minimise risk of harm to children. All educators are qualified in first aid and respond promptly to minimise the impact of an incident. The OSHC Coordinator will promptly telephone a parent/guardian if a child has been involved in an accident or becomes ill. If contact cannot be made and medical attention is needed, an ambulance will be called and the child will be taken to hospital. Please ensure you keep emergency contact details updated.
The rights and responsibilities of parents with respect to injuries and illnesses of their children is acknowledged and will be taken into account in administering all procedures.
In the case of a minor injury or illness, a staff member will attend to the incident and an incident report will be completed advising you of the details. The parent/carer will be asked to read and sign this report after speaking with staff to verify you have been advised of the incident.
Evacuation procedures
An evacuation and lock down plan is situated in the entrance area. We ask all parents, staff and children to familiarise themselves with the procedures.
Fire, evacuation and lock down drills are practiced regularly and should you be present during a drill, please participate. Regular evacuation procedures give the children an opportunity to become familiar with the routine and planned evacuation/lock down procedure.
Firefighting equipment within the centre is checked and serviced as per Education Queensland guidelines and in conjunction with school maintenance schedules.